King Diamond

King Diamond is the band that King Diamond formed after the split up of Mercyful Fate, following the departure of Hank Shermann. He was joined by most members of the then defunct Mercyful Fate. Their style had lost most of its proto-black metal element and had more of a progressive edge. The Satanic focus was replaced by a focus on horror stories. Apart from two albums, each of the albums contained a story told throughout the songs; some stories span more than one album. Only Fatal Portrait and The Spider's Lullaby deviate here, in that only half of the songs form a story while the other songs are independent.

The band was first launched with the album Fatal Portrait, which featured the guitar talents of Andy LaRocque?, who would become King Diamond's longest running collaborator. In 1987, the King Diamond band released Abigail, which is often considered his best solo work. The album tells the tale of an 18th century house that is inherited by a young couple who soon discover its dark secrets. Abigail was followed by Them and its sequel Conspiracy, whic...